Reaper
by Master of all Perverts
Summary: AU. Sakura Haruno is an agent of the spirit world. Working a case in the human world, she comes across a strange teenage girl who seems a little too interested in her. How can she possibly solve her case while trying to live as a normal girl? Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1-Reaper**

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the plants were blooming, and the sky was a deep, beautiful shade of blue. Tokyo was busy as usual; businessmen hustling onto the subway, wives shopping at the nearby market, school children walking home. In a more secluded area of housing on the edge of the city, a pink haired teen sighed. Instead of enjoying the sunshine like a normal high school girl, here she was, working.

A man with sparse white hair moaned and wailed, clinging to a telephone pole for dear life. "Don't take me!" he cried. Sakura scowled at the high pitch, shoving her hands into the folds of her black robe. "I don't want to go to hell!"

"For the last time, gramps, I'm not taking ya to hell."

The man's lower lip stuck out in a childish pout, tears welling up in his eyes, as he flapped a hand in her direction. "You're wearing all black! It's obvious I'm not going to heaven!"

"Listen old man," she began, feeling a distinct twitching begin in her left eyebrow, "Like I've already said, I'm just a Reaper. All I do is ferry spirits to the Judgment Room; it's not up to me where they take you after that. And as for the robe, it's the required uniform. Not like I like wearing this itchy blanket."

Another loud wail pierced through the air as the man began his complaints all over again. Sighing, Sakura hopped into the air, crossed her legs beneath her, and casually floated in the sky. Close enough to still keep an eye on the old man (in the odd chance that he'd miraculously cooperate), but far enough away to drown out his whines. "God, this bites." Turning emerald eyes towards the city beneath her, she watched as a group of teenage girls walked home. They giggled and laughed, stopping now and then to look at the merchandise in store windows. She would never admit it aloud, but she envied them. They got to wear whatever clothes they wanted outside of school; pinks and blues, yellows and reds. Those girls' had friends; they had fun. Humans had it so good.

"Mr. Kensuke, I see you're causing trouble again."

The feminine voice pulled her from her musings. Flipping around abruptly, looking quite odd hanging upside down in the sky, Sakura gaped at the grinning girl that had suddenly appeared below her. In her late teens, the girl wore a navy blue sailor uniform and plaid skirt, a brown case plastered with stickers held in her right hand. Her bleach blonde hair was pulled back into a stylish ponytail, her bangs framing the brightest blue eyes Sakura had ever seen. Most surprising of all, she was looking right at the pinkette, a giggle escaping her lips when the floating girl continued to open and close her mouth in an attempt to speak.

"Y-y-you can see me?" Sakura spluttered, pointing at herself for good measure. She had once mistakenly thought that a mental patient could see her, when in reality the woman had merely been talking to herself—she didn't want the embarrassment of making such a silly mistake again.

"You, and Mr. Kensuke," the girl nodded. Scooting towards the old spirit, the blonde adopted a stern expression. "Now, Mr. Kensuke, what are you up to now? Not trying to haunt someone again, I hope."

Sakura felt her eyebrows lifting as the old man immediately stopped his childish behavior, letting go of his iron grip on the pole. "Ah, Ino, my dear, it's been so long since you've visited!" His voice, which had been nasally and annoying earlier, was now perfectly polite. Happy, even.

"I told you, I had end of term exams."

"Life as a ghost can get so lonely, though, my dear," Kensuke sighed, placing a hand over his heart dramatically.

Sakura couldn't help but snort. The blonde and Kensuke (who glared rather pathetically at the interruption) turned to look at her, and she felt a blush spread like red hot heat across her face. She'd never liked being the center of attention. "Ah, um, w-who are you?" she demanded, wincing when her voice came out squeakier than she intended.

The blonde grinned and flourished a ridiculous bow. "Ino Yamanaka, at your service," she purred. Tilting her head, she tapped the tip of her finger against her chin. "You're a cute one, despite the menacing robe." If possible, the floating girl's blush intensified. "Now, what exactly are you? I've seen plenty of ghosts before, but I'm not getting that kind of vibe from you."

"…I'm a Reaper," the pinkette murmured. She floated closer to the group, crossing her arms over her chest. Glaring into the blondes eyes, she added, "I ferry the dead to the Judgment room, where they're given their assignments for the afterlife. _Normally,_ humans can't see us. What's so special 'bout you?"

Ino, who seemed to never stop smiling, shrugged and perched her hand on her hip. "It runs in my family. We've always been able to see things others can't, like the dead. Most of them are just wandering until they're ready to move on—which is where you come in, I'm sure—and aren't that scary. They're human, after all, just dead."

"Hmph. You humans are strange."

"Now, what were you doing when I just showed up? Mr. Kensuke can be rather stubborn when he puts his mind to it," the blonde chuckled.

Sakura glared over at the older man, who was once again hiding behind the telephone pole. "I was trying to do my job. Gramps here refuses to come with me."

"I won't go to hell!" Kensuke cried, wrapping his arms tightly around the wood once again. "You can't make me!"

"For the last time, you stubborn old goat, I'm _not _taking you to hell," Sakura spat, eyes flashing. "It's not _my _job to determine where you'll go!" To her surprise, the blonde girl placed a soothing hand on the old man's shoulder. Humans weren't supposed to be able to see, let alone touch, spirits. This girl was just full of surprises.

"Now, Mr. Kensuke, you're not being fair," Ino cooed. "This poor girl is just trying to do her job, and you're making it awfully difficult."

"She's the spawn of Satan!" the old man screeched. He puckered his thin lips and sent the furious Reaper his best glare, which was about as frightening as a box full of kittens to the agent of the afterlife. "Don't you see, Ino, she's trying to trick you!"

The blonde frowned, retracting her hand to cross her arms over her chest, resembling nothing more than a stern mother scolding her child. "Mr. Kensuke, that's quite enough." Her voice, which had been so soothing moments before, was now firm and unyielding. "You're acting like a child."

"But I don't want to go to hell…!"

"And what have you done to be sent to hell?" Ino demanded. Kensuke's wailing abruptly stopped, leaving them with only the sound of the city around them. "You're not going to be sent to hell if you didn't do anything _wrong_. Tell me, Mr. Kensuke, have you killed a man?"

"I would never…!"

"Did you beat your wife? Your kids?"

"Never!"

Sakura watched with mounting curiosity as the teenage girl began to pace in front of the aged ghost, ticking off a list of predictable 'evil' deeds, which the old man vehemently denied partaking in. "You haven't done any of these, and yet you're worried that you'll be taken to hell?" Ino said.

The old man fell silent, pursing his lips in thought. Finally, his face turned away from both observers, he whispered, "I'm afraid."

"Of what?" Ino was back at his side, hand on his shoulder, voice soothing yet again.

"This girl ought to be an actor," Sakura murmured, far enough away to be unheard. She was sure the blonde wouldn't appreciate the jibe at the moment.

Kensuke turned to the taller girl, eyes clouded. "Of what comes after," he said. "Right here, right now, I still exist. I can see, I can hear, I can speak. When they take me…what will happen? Will that all go away?"

"Listen to me very carefully, Mr. Kensuke." The blonde crouched down in front of him, taking his aged hands in her own. "We're all scared to die. Even me. But you _have _to go. If you stay here, in a world that you no longer belong to, you'll rot. I've seen it. Good people, turned into monsters, because this world ate at their heart until nothing was left. They become demons, Mr. Kensuke. Think of your wife, your children, even your grandchildren. Would they want your years of hard work, of taking care of them, and being the best man you can, be tainted because you were too afraid to move on?"

Sakura was silent, watching the events unfold with a frown on her face. This girl could see the dead and the carriers of the dead. She could communicate and even touch them. The blonde even understood, at least in part, the process of transforming into a demon. Hell, she was currently in the process of trying to coax a ghost into the afterlife, like some sort of medium. What else was hidden behind that teenage smirk?

"I-I suppose I wouldn't want them to worry about me," the old man finally stammered. He looked at the Reaper with a suspicious glare before clearing his throat. "Well, Death, it's time for me to go."

"I'm a Reaper, not Death," the pinkette grumbled. "Death is much less patient, I'll have you know." Thrusting a hand in his general direction, she impatiently waited for him to finish his goodbyes to the teen. "C'mon, grab ahold, ya old goat."

"You'll take care of him?" Ino questioned, peering curiously into the Reapers face.

Looking at her, Sakura knew she didn't have to answer; didn't have to care about the blonde teenage human, who she'd probably never see again anyway. A second later, however, she found herself nodding. "For as long as the old man's in my care."

Kensuke gingerly clasped her hand, and they slowly began to ascend into the air. "Take care, Mr. Kensuke!" the blonde grinned, waving her arms wildly. To any observers, the lone girl shouting goodbye into the sky looked quite strange, and they quickly shuffled away to a safer distance. Just before they disappeared, Sakura heard, "I hope we meet again, Miss. Reaper!"

"Fat chance of that," she muttered. She didn't realize just how wrong she was.

* * *

**So, I know I really shouldn't be posting this because I have other fics I need to finish but gosh darn it, this one keeps plaguing me! XD Anywho, leave any constructive criticism, reviews, etc. Even just stopping by to say hello really boosts my day! Thanks for reading, stop by again once chapter 2 is out! (Although, please keep in mind chapters will be like, five pages long only at this point.) Peace out! -Master of all Perv's. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You've got another case, pinky."

"Sa-ku-ra," the Reaper corrected, stopping in front of the woman's desk. "You know I hate that nickname, Anko."

The woman sitting behind the desk merely smirked, propping her feet on the edge of the table as she grabbed a manila portfolio. The purple haired woman wore a fishnet shirt, a tan trench coat, and a matching skirt. Definitely not the required uniform, but every time her clothes were confiscated the twenty-something-year-old somehow managed to acquire another set. Their superiors had long since given up on trying to get her to cooperate.

Anko opened the file with a flick of her wrist, brown eyes scanning the page. "Long one this time," she stated, ignoring the pinkette's reprimand. "Ohhh, and undercover at that! What a lucky dog you are. Why don't I ever get the interesting cases?"

"Because you refuse to wear your uniform or show up to work on time," Sakura muttered. Leaning across the table, she snatched the file from the purple haired woman, blinking down at the mess of papers shoved inside. "Do they _know _how to organize anything? Geez, look at this mess!"

"Aw, don't get your panties in a bunch, pinky. You know how boring file duty is. And I'll have you know I look _sexy_ in these clothes!"

"You'd be arrested in the Human World, dressed like that."

"For being too sexy!" Anko exclaimed, a wide ear to ear grin taking up the majority of her face.

Raising her eyebrows at a particularly illegible scribble, Sakura murmured, "Or for thinking you were a prostitute." She tuned out the loud woman's protests, trying to figure out what exactly her next case was about. Whoever put down the case details wrote chicken scratch at best. "What exactly am I going undercover for? I can't read this."

"We've been getting strange fluctuations of demonic activity coming in on the radar," the purplette said. That was how Anko always was; switching from loud and obnoxious to completely calm in a snap of the finger. "We'll get a large spike on the energy scale one minute, and before we can even send someone out to investigate it'll disappear, like it's never happened."

"Where at?"

"Tokuharu High School, in Saita prefecture. The spikes are so random and brief, we can't pinpoint the exact location within the school, but at least we know it's somewhere on campus."

Emerald eyes swung around to meet the serious file-handler, blinking as she connected the dots. "I'm going undercover."

"Yup."

"In a high school."

"Duh."

"As a worker?"

Anko rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "You look too young for that, pinky. You're going in as a student."

That couldn't be. Sakura had no idea how to be a high school student. She didn't study, she didn't socialize, she didn't gossip—hell, they were lucky she knew how to talk at all! "B-but I couldn't—!"

"Look," the older woman grunted, ruffling around in a drawer. A moment later she came up with a wrapped package, tossing it onto the desk with a muted thump. "We've already got your uniform, and you're already enlisted as a transfer student in their records. Face it, pinky, you're going into the cesspool humans call high school. Try not to get an STD."

The full reality of the situation seemed to hit her in that moment. She was going to high school. Sakura, the ferry of the dead, was going to have a chance to be a (somewhat) normal teenage girl. Trying to hide her excitement, she questioned, "…This means I don't have to wear the robe?"

Sending her a smirk, Anko nodded. "No more robe."

"What about studying and grades? I don't exactly study human education in my spare time…"

"We've got another agent on the inside posing as a teacher," the purplette waved away the worry. "They'll take care of all of that nonsense."

"When do I start?"

"Tomorrow morning."

* * *

"Is there s'pose to be a breeze?" Sakura demanded. Her face resembling that of a tomato, she shuffled around in front of a large mirror, tugging down the edges of her plaid skirt in an attempt to cover her legs.

"Kinda comes with the uniform, pinky. Just be sure to hold it down when the wind blows, or it'll be every teenage boy's dream."

The girl ignored her friend's teasing, reaching up to fiddle with the red bow around her neck. Her uniform was that of a typical Japanese high school student—white button up shirt, a navy blue vest, red bow, plaid skirt (which was much too short for her liking), and knee high socks with a pair of inconspicuous black shoes. At first she had been excited for the chance to wear something other than her horrid black robe, but now that she was actually in the uniform she felt terribly exposed.

"C'mon, stop fidgeting," Anko grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You don't wanna be late for your first day of school, do you?"

"I-I-I don't think I can do this!" The pinkette turned her face away, clasping her shaking hands in front of her.

"And why's that?"

"I'm not human," she murmured. "I don't know how to act like one."

"Well, you were once upon a time. I'm sure it'll come back to you once you're out and about, pinky," the woman reasoned.

Sakura shook her head, silent. The older woman just didn't understand. She had no idea how to act like a _girl_; in the afterlife, gender didn't much matter, since most of their emotions and human characteristics were no longer necessary. If you could walk, talk, and think on a basic level, you were good. Humans weren't like that. They had personalities, likes, dislikes; they got crushes on boys, and needed things like food and water.

"Time to go, whether you like it or not," Anko interrupted her private debate, releasing her hold upon the shorter girls neck. Shoving her onto a raised dais in the middle of the floor, she grinned, gave a lazy two fingered salute, and pressed a red button on the wall.

"Wait, Anko, don't send me—out there…" The pinkette, who had been reaching for the older woman in an attempt to stop her, flushed and retracted her hand when she realized she was already standing on a human street. She laughed nervously at the curious stares she was given, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. A moment later a loud pop sounded, and a brown briefcase-like bag suddenly fell into her arms.

Blinking, she read the sticky note attached to the handle. _"Forgot this. Have fun, pinky! –Anko."_

Slowly, dreading each step she made, Sakura walked in the direction the other students with her uniform were heading. There were groups of giggling girls, who had their hair up in cute ponytails or done up with bouncing curls, and smaller groups of boys, wearing the typical black slacks, white button up shirt and tie, who were rough housing and walking along lazily.

"This is just my job, just my job," Sakura murmured, shying away from the other teenagers. She saw a few curious stares sent her way, but no one tried to talk to her. "You can do this, Sakura, it's your job. Get in, solve the problem, and get out. Easy as pie."

The school loomed in front of her, its row upon row of windows glinting at her menacingly. She followed the other students into what she supposed was the main entrance, looking around for any sort of sign that would direct her towards her classroom. Hanging from the ceiling was a list of classroom numbers and arrows pointing in their general direction; she went down the hall leading to hers. Finally, she came to it; Classroom 3A. Wiping her sweaty palms against the thigh of her skirt, she took a deep breath and slid open the door.

The room was fairly normal for a high school; though Sakura really couldn't say for sure what was considered "normal" in the human world. There were perhaps twenty desks, in five columns and four rows, all facing a blackboard and a larger wooden desk. A few students were already in their seats, turning to stare at her as she nervously sidled towards the figure sitting at the front desk.

"E-excuse me…" she murmured, clearing her throat. "I'm Sakura…the new transfer student…"

"Ah, Miss. Haruno, I'm glad to meet you." The black haired woman looked up, turning on a brilliant smile. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Shizune. We've all been so anxious to meet you!"

"Um, thank you…"

"Now, why don't you just sit right there, in the second row by the window. I'll have you introduce yourself when the entire class is present."

The pinkette nodded numbly, going over to sit on the edge of her seat, looking studiously out the window to avoid the ever growing number of stares focusing on her. She had to stand in front of _everyone _to introduce herself? Sakura felt like fainting. As a Reaper, she was used to being able to see, but being unseen herself. It was one thing to walk around on a busy street where no one paid any attention to her, but to stand in front of twenty students?

"Miss. Reaper?"

The overly chipper voice broke her from her private panic attack, and the teen swung around, eyes wide, to see none other than Ino Yamanaka—the strange girl who could see spirits—grinning down at her. "Y-y-you! What are you doing here?"

"I think I should be the one asking that," the blonde said, sliding into the seat just in front of her. "You're in my classroom, after all."

"Your classroom? You go to school _here_?" Sakura stammered. She felt her face heat up even more when she realized they were wearing the exact same uniform. Why hadn't she recognized it before?

Ino waved at a passing friend, pulling out a pencil and paper as she answered. "Of course, silly. Now I have a question or two for you. The other day, no one but me could see you, and now suddenly everyone can. Is the whole world turning psychic, or is there another explanation for this wonderful development?"

As she scrambled for some sort of answer to give the human girl, one that didn't give away her objective, she was literally saved by the bell. The students hastily slid into their seats, the wood scraping against the floor as Shizune stood in front of her desk.

"Good morning class. As you all know, we have a new transfer student. Miss. Haruno is here with her parents, who are serving with the military, so she's unaware of how much time she'll be spending with us. Non-the-less, I expect you all to welcome her." The dark haired woman smiled and gestured her forward, and, blushing to the roots of her hair, Sakura trudged to the front of the room.

"…Hello." Her voice came out squeakier than she anticipated, and she cleared her throat. "I'm, uh, S-Sakura Haruno…"

"Now, Miss. Haruno, we've got a bit of a tradition in this classroom," Shizune began, that gentle smile still on her face. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have the students ask you a few questions to get to know you better."

"A-alright…"

"Introduce yourself, and then ask your question." A few awkward moments passed as the students simply stared at her, before a hand finally flew into the air.

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki," the boy chirped. His blonde hair stuck out at all angles, his tie pulled loose and his shirt crumpled as if he'd slept in it. Most of all she noticed the giant ear to ear grin that seemed to take up half of his face. It reminded her of the smirks that Anko would often give her. "Is that your natural hair color?"

"Um, y-yes…"

"Huh, no way! It's so…pink!"

"I've got a question!" Ino called, raising her hand with a suspicious smile. "My name's Ino Yamanaka, as you're already aware." Sakura felt herself flush when the blonde girl winked, followed closely after by curious murmuring from the rest of the class. "Do you have yourself a boyfriend, Miss. Haruno?" She looked like the picture of innocence, but Sakura wasn't so sure. There was just something in her tone that screamed she was up to something.

"N-no…I don't d-date…" Damn, she really had to stop stammering.

"What about a girlfriend?" The pinkette gaped, mouth opening and closing in an attempt to make a sound, as the class erupted in whispers. Ino simply leaned forward, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand, as her eyes seemed to pin the gaping girl in place.

"No…!"

Shizune sighed behind her, shoulders slumping. "At it already, Miss. Yamanaka? Give the poor girl time to adjust, at least."

"Is it wrong for me to be curious, Shizune sensei?" the blonde questioned innocently.

"We all know that's not what you're up to…" the teacher muttered, shaking her head. Sakura, utterly confused, continued to look back and forth between the two. "You may return to your seat, Miss. Haruno. I believe that's enough questioning for today."

Stumbling back to her seat, wondering what the hell that was all about, Sakura slid past the smirking blonde. "What did I get myself into…?"

* * *

**If you haven't noticed, the Reaper part of this fic was influenced by YuYu Hakusho, though I decided to throw out the colorful kimono's and give the ferries of death a more typical outfit. Also, I realize I have a strange mix of Japanese honorifics with more western ones, i.e. using sensei verses teacher, and Miss. instead of chan or san. Don't ask me why, but it just sounded better to me the way it's written. –shrug—don't like it? I understand, but that's not going to make me change it. Well, 'nuff of my rambling. Hope you enjoyed the update, and please review! –Master of all perv's, out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Isn't it strange?" Sakura demanded. She perched on the edge of a metal railing, skirt carefully tucked beneath her bottom, swinging her feet back and forth.

"Is what strange?" Anko, wearing her usual attire, floated in the air above her, arms crossed behind her head. They were on the school roof, lazily watching the gym students running laps below them.

"That girl I was talking about, Ino. Isn't it strange for her to see us?"

"There are humans that can see the spirit world, pinky. They're called psychics," the purplette drawled, flipping around so that she created the illusion of lying on her stomach.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know that. But she can do more than that. Ino was able to _touch a ghost_!"

"That is a little weird," Anko frowned. The older woman thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Explainable, I'm sure. I don't care for all that technical mumbo jumbo."

The gym teacher's whistle sliced through the air, the students coming to a halt. "Ne, Anko…"

"Now what, pinky?" The purple haired woman turned to look at the girl, raising an eyebrow at the slight flush covering her cheeks.

"Aren't humans…well…I-isn't it abnormal for them to, um…"

"Spit it out already!"

"Isn't it strange for a girl to be interested in another girl?" the Reaper stammered, turning away to avoid the smirk she knew the purplette was throwing her.

Her attempts to hide were useless, as the woman was suddenly sitting next to her, leaning over to look directly into her blushing face. "What brought this interesting little tidbit about, pinky? Noticed a hot piece of work?"

"T-that's not it!" she squeaked, covering her face with her hands. This was _so_ embarrassing. Her lack of knowledge about humans was coming back to bite her in the ass. "I-Ino asked if I had a girlfriend…a-and I thought humans didn't approve of those sorts of relationships…"

Deciding to take pity on the pinkette, for now, Anko said, "It used to be taboo, if you wanna call it that. Most considered it wrong. Nowadays, though, it's pretty common. There are still some buttholes out there that call it unnatural, but it's a lot more accepted now than it used to be."

"Oh…I-I didn't know…"

"You really don't remember much 'bout your human life, huh, pinky?"

The teen shook her head, legs ceasing their forward and back movement, a frown creasing her face. "No. Tiny flashes of memory here and there, that's all. They're not even important or meaningful. Just everyday things," she shrugged.

It was quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from the wind and the distant voices of students' four levels below them. A sudden bang caused Sakura to jump, scrabbling to grab onto the edge of the railing to prevent a rather nasty fall. Somehow, she wasn't surprised when her blonde classmate appeared at the doorway. Ino seemed to find her wherever she went.

"There you are, Miss. Reaper!" Ino chirped, rushing to her side. She paused at the other school girl's side, tilting her head at the purplette. "Who's your friend?"

"You sure weren't kidding, pinky," Anko grinned. "It's should be next to impossible for her to see you, let alone me."

The blonde snaked her arm around the pinkette's waist, tugging her off the edge of the railing. Sakura let out a rather undignified squeak, clinging to her smug classmate as she was plopped back onto solid ground. "Since everyone else can see you now, I'm assuming your body is at least sorta human. Don't be so risky," Ino scolded. "Now, shouldn't you introduce me?"

"A-Anko, this is Ino. Ino, this is my, uh, coworker," the Reaper stammered, fidgeting uncomfortably as the blonde kept an arm around her waist. When she tried to pry the arm from her midsection, she suddenly found her fingers twined around the other girls in an inescapable grip. Was it normal for human females to be so touchy feely? Sakura wasn't sure, and wished she had some sort of human-spirit translator.

Ino held out her unoccupied hand with a pretty grin, tossing her bangs back with a flick of her head. "Nice to meet you, Anko. Now, is there any sort of title to your line of work? I call Sakura miss Reaper, you see, and—"

"Nah, I'm just a desk job," the purplette interrupted, reaching out to clasp her hand. She whistled when she found she really could touch the human's hand. "Sure weren't kidding 'bout those strange powers, pinky."

"You don't even _do _your job half the time," Sakura muttered irritably, glaring at the hand that refused to release her. She broke out in a sunny grin when the blonde let go, but groaned a moment later when she was encased in a tight hug. "Can't breathe!"

The taller schoolgirl had wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pinning the purple haired coworker with an intense gaze. "So you're _just_ a coworker, Anko? Nothing else more…complicated?"

Despite herself, Anko found the situation amusing. Leaning against the railing, watching as Sakura flailed around in the blonde's grip and thus completely oblivious to the turn in conversation because of her attempts to escape, she drawled, "What gave you that idea?"

The blonde somehow managed a shrug despite her tight grip on the other girl. "You two just seemed awful chummy. I like to know the territory I'm stepping on, if there is any."

"No worries here, girly. Pinky ain't my type," the spirit grinned.

Ino let out a disgruntled sound as her captive suddenly burst free, standing and gasping a few feet out of reach. Blushing to the roots of her hair, Sakura spluttered, "Leave me alone!" before dashing down the steps like a bat out of hell.

"Ah, she's so cute…"

"What's got you so interested in her anyway?" Anko said curiously.

The girl merely shrugged and said, "I like pretty girls."

"It's got nothing to do with the fact that she's technically not alive?"

"I _am _curious as to why she's suddenly visible to everyone else, pretending to be a student at my school," Ino admitted, sidling closer. "Care to enlighten me?"

"Sorry, girly. I only know the basics. 'Sides, she's undercover."

An incredibly childish pout burst out onto the blonde's face. "Oooh, now you _have _to tell me!" For good measure, because Anko didn't look like the nice type, she added puppy dog eyes and clasped hands into the act.

Anko floated into the air, crossing her arms behind her head with a smirk. "Guess you'll havta smooth talk pinky into telling ya. Time for me to get outta here, girly. See ya!" And with that, and a rather large popping noise, the purplette was gone.

* * *

Tromping along the currently empty hallway, Sakura cursed her luck while trying to control the heated blush she could feel covering her face. The blonde psychic always managed to make her flustered and nervous, popping up out of nowhere to man handle her and say embarrassing things. "I don't think I like having human emotions," she muttered.

The girl paused to look out a window that faced an inner courtyard within the school, noticing a familiar shock of bright blonde hair. "Naruto…?" The exuberant boy was gesturing wildly with his hands and arms as always, a big grin plastered to his face. Over the past few days she'd gotten to know the hyperactive boy, with his knack of getting in trouble and playing silly, harmless pranks on their teachers, who seemed to ignore him as much as possible.

She frowned at the figure walking next to the blonde. With dark hair, pale skin, and a distinct aura that stated the boy would rather kill himself than socialize, Sakura knew that such a boy would have stuck in her mind. Was he from another class? As if sensing her gaze, the pale boy glanced up towards the windows, his dark eyes seeming to glare straight at her. The pinkette felt a shiver run down her spine and wrapped her arms around her torso, frowning at the strange boy. There was something about him…

"Sa-ku-ra!" Warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind, effectively cutting off her train of thought. If the chirpy voice wasn't enough to tip her off as to her hugger's identity, a trail of long blonde hair tickled at the edge of her vision. "You shouldn't run away from me like that! I missed you terribly."

"I was gone for five minutes," the Reaper blushed, fidgeting in the blonde's unrelenting grasp. She wasn't sure where to put her hands that wouldn't encourage the school girl, and finally settled for laying them against the windowsill.

A soft cheek rubbed against hers. "But every second we're apart is far too long!"

Jeez, this girl was dramatic. Yet despite that, Sakura still felt her cheeks heating to uncomfortable levels. To distract the bubbly girl, she pointed at the two boys walking in the courtyard. "Who's that?"

Ino, ever curious, leaned over her shoulder to get a better look. "Oh, the guy next to Naruto? That's Sasuke Uchiha, class 3D, I think." Frowning cutely, she pulled the pinkette flush against her body, breathing in the frozen girl's ear. "You don't like the anti-social type, do you, Sakura?"

"L-like? What do you—?"

"Come on, Sakura!" the blonde sighed, rolling her eyes as she tightened her grip just a fraction. "I know you're technically not alive and all, but I'm sure you know what crushes are!"

"Cr-crush!" The single word came out far louder than she intended, and the Reaper hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. After taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she murmured, "I don't get crushes."

The pinkette could practically feel the school girl's irritation, and briefly wondered what could have upset her. "_Everyone _gets crushes."

"Not me."

"So, you're telling me you don't feel anything when I do this?" Pausing for only a moment, the blonde leaned forward to brush her lips ever so lightly across the shorter girl's neck, grinning when the action produced a full body shudder from her prey. Reaching one hand up to place on her chest, avoiding the naughty places, she purred, "You can't lie to me, Sa-ku-ra. You're heart's beating awfully fast."

The pinkette was frozen in place, positive that if her eyes widened any farther they'd pop from her head. It was true that her heart was beating unbearably fast, thudding in her ears. There was a strange fluttering in her stomach that ceased to calm and her legs and arms were shaking with a sudden energy. Was there something wrong with her? She hadn't had a human body for so long… It wasn't until she felt the warm hand on her heart begin to slide downwards that she finally snapped out of her daze.

Acting purely on instinct, she elbowed the girl behind her to gain room, and swung. A loud 'crack' sounded in the hallway. Looking at her stinging hand in bewilderment, Sakura looked up, wide eyed, to see the blonde gaping at her with a hand covering her reddened cheek. The pinkette vaguely realized the hallway was intensely silent; the multitudes of students staring at the commotion, and felt her cheeks redden in a deep blush. "I-I have to go!"

Ino stared at the retreating back of her newest fascination, mouth agape, and cheek smarting. All she could say was simply, "She hit me!"

* * *

**And we've gotten more into the characters' personalities! I've always pictured Ino as a big flirt, so it's really not a large stretch from that to a pervert. Sakura is acting slightly more shy and girly in this setting, but it's perfectly natural for people to act different in different surroundings and around different people. So, don't worry, mouthy Sakura ain't going nowhere. ;) Thanks for reading, and review! Tell me what you liked, what you disliked, what you found funny—anything! Just a simple hello will make my day! Also note, updates will be sporadic. I seem to have a lot of inspiration for this one so far, so they shouldn't take TOO long to update, but no promises.–Master of all perv's, out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So you groped her?"

Ino flushed at the crude statement, twirling her spoon around in her coffee cup, but didn't deny the accusation. Across from her sat another blonde with her hair pulled up into messy pigtails, munching on a pastry with an undeniable smirk on her face.

"Well?"

"You want me to admit it, Temari? Fine! I was in the _process _of a grope," she muttered, shooting the other blonde a heated glare. "But I never actually got to touch anything!"

"She's got good reflexes, to stop you from coping a feel." Taking another bite of her delicious snack, she mumbled, "Considering most girls don't notice you've moved until they're already half undressed."

The blue eyed girl decided not to comment, furiously spinning her spoon and avoiding the knowing glance her friend was giving her. The café they were seated in was fairly busy at this time of day, as business men and students were released from their long days of captivity. Finished with her treat, Temari braced her elbow against their small table, laying her cheek against her palm and pinning the other girl with a curious look.

"Spill."

"Spill what?"

"What's got you so wrapped up in this one girl?" Temari clarified.

"I-I'm not 'wrapped up'!"

Temari rolled her eyes, deciding not to point out the obvious blush staining the other blondes cheeks, and huffed, "Normally you find your victim, get in a little smooching and groping, and move on to the next. You've been flirting with this one for over a week!"

"W-well I haven't gotten anything but a hug from her!" she defended, crossing her arms across her chest. Thinking for a moment longer, she added, "She hasn't _done _anything, with anyone. She's a little shyer than my usual choice."

"Didn't stop you from chasing Hinata," Temari deadpanned. "I do recall walking into the girl's locker room last year, finding the both of you in a rather compromising position against the…"

"Shh!" Ino spluttered, flinging a hand across the table to cover her friend's mouth. Jerking her head at a group of starry eyed teenage boys sitting at the next table, she hissed, "I get it already!"

"Then stop pussyfooting around, Ino. What is it about this one that has you so obsessed? And even if a girl did hit you, you've never been this upset about it. Spill it."

The blonde sighed; sinking back into her seat as she distractedly stirred her now cold coffee. Speaking quietly, she finally murmured, "She's…different."

"How?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure…"

"You're hopeless," Temari sighed. She tapped her fingers against the table distractedly. "Alright. What's the first thing you think of when you picture Sakura?"

"She blushes easily."

"Hmm. This _is _serious," the pigtailed girl grunted. "You didn't mention her boobs."

"H-hey! I don't focus on just girl's bodies!" Ino defended, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks.

The other blonde snorted. "Sure you don't." Looking around, she nodded towards a group of teenage girls standing at the counter. "What do you think about the girlie with glasses?"

"Mmm, she's got sexy legs…" Realizing a moment too late that she'd just proven Temari's point, she opted for covering her traitorous mouth before it got her into more trouble.

"See what I mean?"

A few moments went by as the chipper girl regained her thoughts, taking a sip of her drink. "So what should I do?"

"About what?"

"Sakura," Ino muttered, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. "Ever since I almost…you know…she won't come within ten feet of me! Whenever I try to talk to her, she runs away!"

"Apologize to her."

"Huh?"

"I said, apologize," Temari shrugged. "Tell her you won't do it again."

"But I _want _to do it again," the blonde blushed. Despite her tendency's, it was quite awkward to talk about feeling up a classmate.

"Then tell her you won't do anything without her permission. She might be shy, but I'm sure she likes to be in control of who does and doesn't touch her assets, ya know?" Just to tease her friend, Temari wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and was pleased when the other girl blushed even darker.

"Mou, Temari!"

* * *

Sakura huffed, plopping onto a conveniently placed bench in the school courtyard. Ever since the incident with Ino, she'd redoubled her efforts to find the source of the demonic activity that was supposedly reported to pop up on campus, but so far had found nothing. She'd searched in the library, the cafeteria, the rooftop, a multitude of classrooms, and even the karate dojo. However, all of them had seemed too exposed for a demon to appear without notice, and nothing abnormal popped up in the usual teenage gossip.

As she sat there contemplating where to snoop for information next, a grumble erupted from her stomach. Covering her abdomen with a blush, she murmured, "I don't think I'll ever get used to feeling hungry…"

"That _would _be a strange sensation after not needing to eat for so long, huh?" The pinkette froze at the familiar voice, shoulders tense as an even darker blush spread up her neck, face, and ears. Ino stepped into her vision from the right, sitting on the edge of the bench with an unnatural slowness. Before she could even get up to flee the immediate area, the blonde spoke again. "Wait! Please, don't go. Look, I'll stay right here, on the edge of the bench, ok? I won't move. Please, Sakura, I just want to talk."

Glancing at her curiously out of the corner of her eye, because full eye contact was much too embarrassing at this point, Sakura nodded. It was silent for a moment; the typically busy courtyard being occupied by only a few students, who all seemed busy studying. However, if one were to look close enough, they'd notice the side glances sent towards the odd couple on the bench, just waiting for more juicy gossip material to pop up after the episode the other day.

Ino cleared her throat, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I…I want to apologize for the other day. It wasn't right of me to try to touch…uhm…well, you know…I'm sorry."

Despite the awkward topic, Sakura was actually amused by the situation. Who would have guessed Ino, the normally chipper, smiling pervert, could fidget and blush this much? It was good to know that she wasn't the only one who stammered.

When the other girl remained silent, Ino chanced a look at the pinkette. "W-well?"

"Sorry…I don't really know what I'm s'pose to do in this kind of…um, situation."

"You either forgive me or you don't," the blonde muttered, smiling despite herself. Sakura was just too cute when she didn't know what to do. When the pink haired girl seemed to be considering her options, Ino hastily added, "I promise I won't touch you without your permission anymore!"

"Pinky promise?"

Ino blinked as the mentioned appendage was suddenly thrust in her direction, following the arm up to the owners face. "Huh?" The Reaper's face was set in such a serious expression; it was at odds against her childish request.

"You've gotta say it, and then pinky promise," Sakura reiterated. Although determined that this was the right course of action in the beginning, she hesitated at the look the other girl gave her. "Is this not right? I-I remember doing this when I was alive…"

The blonde shook her head, gently reaching out to grasp her pinky with her own. Then, as solemnly as she could, she said, "I pinky promise not to touch you without your permission, Sakura."

The sunny smile she received afterwards was more than worth the embarrassing gesture. "Then you're forgiven!"

Although hesitant after just fixing their problem, Ino still couldn't help but ask, "Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

Blushing, because she'd never had to _ask_ before, Ino murmured, "Can I…hug you?"

Sakura tilted her head in such a cute manner that the blonde wanted to squeal, her green eyes studying her intently. "Is that normal for you humans? To hug so much, I mean?"

"Friends do."

Shyly, the pinkette said, "Are we…friends?"

Ino nodded enthusiastically, putting on her trademark grin. "Of course!"

"O-ok, then. But yer hands better stay in neutral territory," she warned.

The blonde nodded again and scooted closer eagerly, slowly wrapping her arms around the Reaper's shoulders. Sakura returned the embrace, feeling her face heating up when she realized how warm it was to hug her classmate. She wasn't exactly sure how long hugs were supposed to last, and waited patiently for the other girl to disengage from the embarrassing contact. After a minute with no movement, she finally ventured, "Ino?"

Warm breath was suddenly against her ear, causing her to shiver. "I'm not giving up on you, Sa-ku-ra," the blonde murmured, her smirk obvious in her voice.

"G-giving up on what?" Sakura felt that strange tingling in her stomach again and mentally berated herself when she gulped rather loudly. Why did it suddenly feel so hot?

"Oh, you'll see!" And suddenly the blonde school girl was all smiles again, pulling away without the slightest remnant of a blush staining her cheeks. "Now come on, we'll be late for class!"

* * *

**I really hope I'm getting across the strangeness Sakura feels being human again, especially with the small things, like being unsure how long hugs are supposed to last. I mean, think about it—have you ever hugged someone and been all "When are they gonna let go? This is awkward…". Or perhaps that's just me…anywho, hope you liked the chapter, thank you for reading and your wonderful reviews thus far, and please don't forget to review this and future chapters!-Master of all perv's, out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Today was perfect. She was well rested, had a delicious lunch, and now she was free to follow around her pink haired cutie. Although the groping incident had made it so that she could no longer touch Sakura at her whim, she found it enjoyable enough just to talk to her and make her blush. Plus, she'd managed to convince the otherworldly girl that friends hugged on a regular basis, which, while somewhat true, was not entirely realistic. She hugged Sakura _much_ more often than she did any of her other friends, but luckily, the pinkette seemed oblivious when it came to certain human behaviors.

As she followed the girl into yet another empty classroom, she quietly admired the Reaper's backside as she bent to look beneath the desks. Oh, how she loved school girl uniforms. Tearing her eyes away from her friend's lovely rear, she questioned, "Why exactly are we going room to room?"

"It's part of my case," the other girl said distractedly. The girl grimaced when she looked beneath a desk, only to find it covered with chewed gum.

"And what's this case about?"

"Can't tell."

Ino sighed, perching on the edge of a desk, and swung her legs back and forth lazily. "Can you at least explain how your job works?"

The pinkette paused, thinking over her words, before shrugging. "I s'pose that won't hurt any. I'm one of many Reapers', who ferry the dead to the judgment room. Besides carrying souls to the afterlife, now and then we're given cases."

"What's the judgment room like?"

"Dunno," Sakura shrugged again, peeking into an immaculate desk. "When I was assigned my post as a Reaper, they erased most of my memories about it. All I know is every soul goes there, and then they're put in heaven, hell, or put to work in the spirit world, for a predetermined amount of time before being reincarnated."

Ino nodded, a cat-ish smirk appearing on her face when the pinkette bent over yet again, this time catching a glimpse of what looked like light pink undies. Keeping quiet in the hopes that she'd get another look, she said, "What determines whether or not you're put to work? I mean, if you're good you're put in heaven, and if you're bad you're put in hell. What puts you in the spirit world as a worker?"

"…I don't really know." Ino frowned at the delayed answer, glancing at the Reaper's face only to see an emotionless mask. It was obvious the girl knew more than she was telling, but the blonde decided not to pick at old wounds. Instead, she looked for another topic.

"What does Anko do? I remember her saying something about a desk job…"

"She handles a little paperwork and hands out cases." Thinking for another moment, she added, "Though she normally pushes the paperwork onto someone else."

The blonde giggled. It was easy to picture the energetic woman being lazy in her office. "Anko wasn't wearing the menacing robe you did. Did you like it because it went with the theme, or what?"

At that the pinkette sighed, leaning against a desk. "She refuses to wear it. The robe's the required uniform, but she somehow manages to shuck it and find her normal clothes whenever the higher ups try to get her to cooperate. They've given up hope by now," she muttered, sounding distinctly annoyed. "…I hated that itchy outfit."

"Well, I know I _much_ prefer you in a skirt," Ino purred, adding in a flirtatious wink just to see that adorable blush. Lo and behold, not a second later the Reaper was turning red in the face, stammering something undecipherable as she renewed her search with vigor. Ino would never get tired of making the normally mouthy girl flustered. Remembering another question, Ino said, "Ne, where exactly are you living, Miss. Reaper?"

It took a moment for the pink haired girl to calm her racing heart. Finally, she murmured, "We have an agent working at this school. I go to her house to eat and sleep."

"Oh, now you've _got _to tell me who it is!"

"I don't know if I should…"

"Aww, pleeeeeeease Sakura? It's not like I'll tell anyone!"

"…Shizune sensei."

"Eh?" Ino blinked, trying to imagine her kind, soft spoken teacher flying around in a black robe. When the imagery failed, she shook her head. "Never would've guessed. I would have thought it was Kakashi sensei, with that bright white hair of his."

Sakura turned to look at her classmate quizzically. "What's his hair got anythin' to do with it?"

"Well, you've got pink hair," Ino began, flapping her hands at her own head for emphasis. "And Anko's got purple hair. Normal people don't have those naturally, and considering Kakashi sensei isn't a day over 25, there's no way his hair should be white!"

The pinkette took a moment to consider her words. "I s'pose we do have odd hair." Then she shrugged. "I had this hair when I was alive, so it isn't like they alter us for the job or anything."

Silence reigned yet again as the strange topic died down. The occasional muffled shout drifted into the classroom from the club students exercising outside, accompanied now and then by the sound of a shrieking whistle. As amusing as it was to watch the pink beauty searching every nook and cranny in the room, Ino quickly lost interest with the whole case thing.

"Ne, Sakura?"

"Hmm?"

"Wanna sleep over at my place tonight?" The blonde watched as the pinkette turned curious eyes towards her.

"Sleep over? What for? I already have a place to sleep."

Ino giggled, stating, "I _know _that, silly. It's for fun. We can order a pizza, watch movies—anything we want!"

"Then it's normal for people to sleep over at other people's homes?" Sakura questioned, tilting her head in a manner that Ino was quickly becoming addicted to.

"Of course! Friends do it all the time!" The blonde nodded enthusiastically, eyes turning starry eyed. Having Sakura in her home, all to herself—she was going to have a nosebleed just thinking about it!

The pinkette hesitated, cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink. "Won't I be a burden to your parents?"

"Oh, they're both gone on a business trip. No worries. We can stay up as late as we want and be as loud as we want!" she chirped.

"So we'll be…alone?" Sakura said nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

Hurt by the obviously uneasy tone in her friend's voice, Ino dejectedly realized that it was her fault. Of course the Reaper wouldn't fully trust her yet after the incident the other day. According to Temari, she was lucky the undead girl had even forgiven her in the first place. So, to make her more at ease, she suggested, "Well, I can invite other people too! The more the merrier, right?"

"Well…I s'pose it does sound kinda…fun," Sakura admitted.

"Great!" Whipping out her phone with practiced ease, the blonde began to text furiously, oblivious to the amused look on her friends face. Within minutes her phone jingled merrily and she crowed. "All righty! Temari says she'll be there, and bring Tenten with her too!"

Raising a brow at the giddy look on her classmates face, Sakura gave the room one last look over. "I should probably let Shizune sensei I'll be gone for the night."

"Mm, let's go!" Ino chirped happily, bouncing off her makeshift seat. She held out her hand expectantly, turning bright blue eyes towards her friend. Flushing slightly at the awkwardness of the contact, Sakura gingerly reached down to clasp her hand.

As the blonde happily dragged her down the hallway, all she could think about was how warm it felt to hold her hand.

* * *

**I apologize for the slightly later update. I always release a chapter after I've finished with the rough draft of the next chappie, but chapter 6 was causing me some troubles. Anywho, hope you liked! Please continue to read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

"Hey."

"Temari!" Ino chirped, jogging up to her friend with a nervous Sakura clutching her hand. The pinkette hovered in the back ground, observing the two new humans—er, friends. Temari was taller than Ino, with her blonde hair tied back in thick pigtails. She was wearing jeans and a hoodie, obviously having changed before their rendezvous. Sakura got a distinct don't-mess-with-me vibe from the larger girl and shifted her attention to the other. This one was more her height, with dark brown hair pulled up into two buns on the back of her head. Her dark eyes were amused as she watched Ino force an enthusiastic hug on Temari, who seemed to be trying to yank her off.

"Geez, get off already!" Temari growled, finally prying the girl's hands off her. The smaller blonde didn't seem fazed and was already engulfing the brunette in a more complacent embrace.

"It's been a while, Ino," the other girl smiled. Turning her kind gaze towards Sakura, she said, "Shouldn't you introduce us?"

Ino immediately grinned and trotted back over to the pinkette, wrapping her arms around the flustered girl's shoulders. "Sakura, that tall imposing giant over there is Temari, and the nice one is Tenten. Guys, this is Sakura, that new girl at school I was telling you about."

"H-hullo…" Sakura could've smacked herself for stammering. Weren't first impressions really big with humans?

"Nice to meet you. I was curious about you, after Ino talked about you nonstop the other day," the blonde smirked.

The smaller blonde immediately flushed, tightening her grip on her victim. "H-hey! I did not!"

The two girls bickered with one another for a few more minutes, gaining the amused attention of various pedestrians around them. "You get used to this after a while," Tenten grinned, motioning at the two blondes. "Whenever they're together, it's like they have a contest over who can insult the other the most."

"Ne, ne! Shall we call it a truce for now and head up to my apartment?" Ino said, abruptly ending their mini spat.

They agreed simultaneously, tromping into the building and up the elevator to the 11th floor. Sakura stood quietly as the other girls chatted, feeling more than a little nervous around the new girls. Seeking some sort of familiarity, she hesitantly reached out and grasped Ino's hand. The blonde seemed to love to hold her hand, so it should be alright, right? To say the blonde was ecstatic was an understatement, as she turned to give her a beaming smile and squeezed her hand, before turning back to a highly amused Temari.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka residence!" Ino chirped. She opened the door with a flourish, bending at the waist to perform a ridiculous bow.

Ino's apartment was fairly plain. Beyond the entry way there was a joint living room and kitchen, a hallway to the left that presumably led to the restroom and sleeping quarters. Sakura was unsure of what she had been expecting from the psychic girl, but her home was perfectly normal compared to her strange abilities.

They were immediately shuffled into the living room after ridding themselves of their shoes at the doorway, sitting down on the black sofa and loveseat as Ino ran around grabbing all manner of treats.

The night was filled with various "chick flick" movies, as Temari dubbed them, and various gossips from around school. Ino stuck to Sakura's side like glue, making the occasional flirty remark and mischievous wink, but otherwise kept the touching to a minimum. The pinkette was grateful from the reprieve, for she had a suspicion that the other blonde in the room was watching their every interaction like a hawk. All was moving along smoothly until Temari disappeared from the room, only to return with several glass bottles and plastic cups.

"Time to get this party started!"

"Hey! That's my stash you're manhandling!" Ino grumped.

"Stash?" the pinkette questioned, blinking as the thicker blonde placed her armful on the coffee table.

"Here we go," Tenten rolled her eyes, but grabbed herself a cup non-the-less. At Sakura's obvious confusion, she added, "Temari doesn't think it counts as a party unless there's booze involved."

Temari was busy handing out the plastic cups and filling them up with a bright blue liquid. "Isn't fun unless you're shitfaced," she grinned. "'Specially since Ino turns into such a—"

"Who wants shots?!" Ino exclaimed, glaring at her friend mutinously, the slightest hint of a blush trickling across her cheeks.

"Alcohol? But I thought the drinking age was 21…" Sakura said.

"We won't tell if you won't," Temari winked, sliding a cup of the bright alcohol in her direction. With her blonde stalker watching her anxiously, Sakura took an experimental sniff of her cup, and scrunched up her nose. It was sharp and strong, making her slightly dizzy just with one whiff.

Ino played with the end of her ponytail, biting her lip worriedly. "You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Sakura."

Instead of answering, the pinkette took a hesitant sip of her drink. The liquid numbed her tongue and burned her throat, making her cough and splutter at the alien sensation. Ino was beside her in seconds, patting her back and encouraging her to follow the shot with a glass of juice to wash away the taste.

"You guys _like _to drink this stuff?!" she finally gasped, sending the other two amused girls an incredulous glance.

Temari merely grinned in a way that was becoming all too familiar to her—cocky and challenging all wrapped into one twitch of the lips. "It's better when you know what you're doing. Don't keep it in your mouth so long; just down it."

Despite Ino's protests that she really didn't have to drink, Sakura rose to the challenge. Her second drink was much easier, as she allowed it to slide down her throat without pause. By the time she was on her fifth, her belly was full, her cheeks were pleasantly warm, and her mind was oddly clouded. Ino was giggling to her right, leaning against her for support, her face flushed.

Things started happening in flashes then. One moment she was sitting on the couch, laughing at Temari doing an impression of some teacher or other, and the next thing she knew she was dancing on wobbly legs with Ino. She remembered the warmth against her cheek as she rested her head against the blonde's shoulder; remembered the smell of lilac on her uniform. There was laughing and giggling and drinks passed around. She even remembered wondering why Temari and Tenten were so cuddly with each other, before she washed the thought away with another drink.

* * *

"Something's different about her."

"Oh?"

"She seems normal enough, to everyone else," he scoffed. Looking back at the black cloud, with its piercing red eyes, he continued. "But sometimes, there's something different. She doesn't do homework during breaks, like the others, but her grades are perfect. She doesn't giggle and gossip like other girls. Doesn't even _walk _like a girl, when she thinks no one is watching."

"You sound obsessed with this human female."

The man snorted, narrowing his eyes at the black mass. Hovering at least a foot in the air, above a circle with strange designs and foreign words, the creature was constantly changing shape, growing in size to match a tiger one second and then shrinking to the size of a volley ball the next. It was a restless beast. "As if. I'm just keeping an eye on my surroundings. You did say that your summoning would bring the workers of the dead, and I don't plan on being captured."

It took him by surprise when the cloud chuckled, its dark timbre similar to that of thunder. "Have you decided what to do with her? This human-but-not-human girl?"

"For now, I'll watch."

* * *

She didn't remember falling asleep. In fact, she remembered very little of the nights progression. Groggily, Ino lifted her head, squinting at the light that filtered in through the blinds that were hanging lopsided above the window. Plastic cups were strewn throughout the room, some still partially full. One even dripped on its side on the coffee table, its blue hue slowly changing the rug beneath it into a similar color. Alcohol, she decided, smelled disgusting first thing in the morning. It certainly didn't make her breath smell any better.

Turning to look at the clock—to see if it even _was _morning—a low groan stopped her in her tracks. Something warm that she hadn't noticed before tightened around her waist, a hushed, sleepy murmur sending a rush of warm breath against her neck. "Five more minutes…"

"_Shit!"_ She knew that voice all too well. Hoping that her logical mind was horrendously wrong, Ino craned her neck to look behind her. Her mouth felt dry, even as her heart hammered. Wound tightly around her from behind was none other than Sakura, her pink hair splayed wildly behind her. One of the Reaper's legs was thrown over her own, and both her arms were wrapped around the blonde's waist, chin propped up upon her shoulder. Worst of all, from this position, her shoulders were bare. Blushing to the roots of her hair, Ino lifted up the corner of the blanket thrown over top of them, sighing in relief when she saw a bra strap on the pinkette. She wasn't entirely naked, then.

Deciding to remove herself from a highly awkward situation should the shy girl awaken, Ino carefully began to wriggle out of her hold. Moving proved to be the wrong move, for a moment after she managed to escape from beneath Sakura's leg, the pinkette tugged her closer, somehow managing to maneuver them so that now they were face to face.

The blood flushed to her face as Sakura sighed in her sleep, snuggling more comfortably into the warmth of the blankets. When the girl finally settled she tried once again to move, but found the Reaper's grip was far too tight to escape from without waking her.

"_Oh great_."

It wasn't that she didn't mind snuggling up to the pinkette. Quite the opposite, actually. It was warm and comfortable wrapped up in the other girl's arms, and sent giddy butterfly's fluttering in her stomach. However, the normally shy and awkward Reaper would most definitely protest their sleeping arrangements upon waking. Plus, the groping incident was still fresh in Ino's mind, and she didn't relish having her current obsession avoiding her like the plague again.

As she contemplated her limited escape options, Ino couldn't help but admire Sakura as she slept. While the pinkette's hair was short and slightly unkempt, it gave her a certain appeal. From their position, she could feel how abnormally soft her hair was against her cheek. The Reaper's cheeks were a light shade of pink due to the warmth, and a slight twitch of the lips indicated a smile. Although she couldn't see it because of the sheets, Ino blushed as she became aware of the fact that her own shirt was currently missing in action, leaving their almost bare torso's to touch. Although she was extremely comfortable, Ino held back her nosebleed and renewed her escape efforts.

"Mnngh."

The blonde froze, halfway out of the pinkette's grip, as Sakura's bright green eyes slowly blinked open. Disoriented, the Reaper took a moment to process her waking environment. She was lying on something soft, most likely the sofa, with the blankets draped across her body for warmth. Ino's desperate expression snapped her into wakefulness. Alarmed, she reached out to touch her cheek.

"Ino? What's wrong? You look scared…" she trailed off, looking at her naked arm with a frown. It was then that she realized her state of undress, her mouth opening and closing without a sound, a hot red blush spreading across her cheeks.

"It's not as bad as it looks!" Ino exclaimed, grabbing onto her hand desperately. "W-we're not n-n-naked! I don't even remember how we got like this!"

The pinkette retreated into the couch cushions, fisting a handful of the blanket in an attempt to cover herself more. She tried to wrack her brain for what happened last night, ignoring Ino's babbled attempts at an apology. Only flashes of activity came to her mind, none of which explained their current state of undress.

"P-please don't hate me!" The frantic plea brought her out of her contemplation, looking at an obviously upset Ino. Sakura distractedly noticed that her blonde hair, normally pulled back into a ponytail, was hanging freely past her shoulders. "I-I never would have made you do something you didn't want to, I swear! I m-mean, last time…I learned my lesson! Please don't—"

"I don't hate you," Sakura muttered embarrassedly. "I-I just…um…is it normal to forget things when you drink?"

"If you drink too much," Ino nodded. An awkward silence filled the room as the two girls avoided eye contact, trying to think of what to say. "S-so you're not mad at me?"

The pinkette shook her head. "It's not like you did something to me, so…"

Noticing the Reaper's winch upon moving her head, Ino cautiously scooted forward. "Your head hurt?"

"Y-yeah…"

"That's from the alcohol. When you drink too much, you normally wake up with a hang over the next morning," Ino said. She reached out to brush the hair from the other girl's eyes, grinning ear to ear. "Luckily I don't get them often."

"Not fair," Sakura grunted.

"It's normally best if you try to sleep until your headache goes away," Ino added. "I've made myself sick before when I tried getting up once."

"W-well, I am still tired…" Sakura glanced down at the blanket, then back to her friend. Her heartbeat sped up upon seeing her bare shoulders, a blush creeping onto her face. "Are you tired…?"

"A little."

Ino watched amusedly as the pinkette fidgeted, trying her best not to leer at the pretty girl. Sakura was just too cute for her own good. It was a miracle Ino had been able to hold back from what Temari dubbed her "pervy tendencies".

"Do you think we could go to sleep together then…?"

"_Don't think pervy, Ino, don't think pervy!" _Ino mentally berated herself, holding back her nosebleed. The pinkette obviously didn't mean what her teenage, gutter mind was thinking.

When the other girl didn't answer, Sakura stammered, "I-I'm sorry! Is that not normal? I-It's just…I remember sleeping next to my mother, and I thought—"

"I don't mind!" To prove her point, Ino scuttled closer, tentatively putting her hand on the pinkette's waist. "Mind if we cuddle? There's not much room on this little couch…"

"O-ok…"

The next few minutes were spent awkwardly rearranging themselves, both of the girls blushing to the roots of their hair. They finally ended up with Sakura facing the back of the couch, Ino's arms wrapped around her waist, her head tucked beneath the blonde's.

"Is this ok?"

"Mmhm. This is…comfortable," the Reaper murmured. Sleep already tugged at her eyes, and the warmth and softness of the other girls presence brought her to the edges of dreamland.

As she drifted off to sleep, a smile tugged at Ino's lips as she watched her breath even out. "Sweat dreams, Sa-ku-ra."

* * *

**I am not encouraging underage drinking. However, I do recognize that it is indeed quite a popular thing to do, and occurs quite often. So it was incorporated into this chapter. I tried to give you guys some fluff, because I felt real bad for not updating. I received a few reviews recently that made me feel guilty for not updating for so long, so thank you wonderful readers for kicking my lazy butt into gear! Let's just say school and work was kinda kicking my ass these last few months. Hope you liked, please continue to read and review!**


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